More than One in Four Americans to Take a Road Trip This Holiday Season
AAA projects 93.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, an increase of 1.6% over the 91.8 million people who traveled last year.
AAA projects 93.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays, an increase of 1.6% over the 91.8 million people who traveled last year.
This increase brings holiday travel figures to within half a million of the decade high mark seen during the 2006/2007 season. The year-end holiday travel period is defined as Saturday, Dec. 22 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013.
AAA says 90% of travelers (84.4 million) will travel by automobile, representing 26.7% of the total U.S. population.
Travel volumes for the year-end holidays are generally very stable, AAA says. Only once in the past decade has there been a change in travel volume greater than 5%.
"The year-end holiday season remains the least volatile of all travel holidays as Americans will not let economic conditions or high gas prices dictate if they go home for the holidays or kick off the New Year with a vacation," said AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet. "Primary economic indicators all show modest improvement from last year and AAA is projecting an increase in the number of Americans stuffing their stockings with airline tickets and hotel reservations."
To help holiday travelers drive safely, the American Trucking Associations put out a list of safe driving tips from its Share the Road team for newspapers and other media outlets to distribute, from truck-specific ones warning about cutting in front of trucks and staying out of truck blind spots, to winter specific ones such as removing ice and snow from the vehicle and having an emergency kit.
"The holidays are a challenging time on the highways," said Share the Road Professional Driver Dion Saiz (FedEx Freight). "Between motorists visiting families or finishing up last minute shopping, there is nothing better than patience and safe driving practices behind the wheel," he added.
"Always buckle up," said Share the Road Professional Driver Dennis Martin (UPS Freight). "Weather can also be a factor during this time of year, so check weather conditions before you get in your vehicle," Martin added.
More Safety & Compliance
PrePass, Kodiak Connect Driverless Trucks to Roadside Enforcement
The system will allow enforcement agencies to verify Enhanced Inspection information and decide whether Kodiak’s autonomous trucks can bypass roadside screening sites.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
FMCSA Pauses Biennial-Update Enforcement Amid Motus Transition
Carriers whose updates were due on or after June 1 have more time, while FMCSA works to stabilize its new registration system and warns of phishing sites impersonating its new carrier registration system, Motus.
Read More →
ZF Expands Commercial Vehicle Push in North America
ZF is expanding its North American commercial-vehicle presence with new transmission applications, electrification, trailer technology and autonomous-driving systems.
Read More →
Truck Drivers Need More Than Another Alert
Fleets have more visibility into truck health, safety events, and driver activity than ever. The next challenge is turning all that information into useful guidance for the person who has to decide what to do next.
Read More →
Tesla Wants a Self-Driving Semi. Are Cameras Enough?
Could Tesla’s camera-only autonomous driving technology work on an 80,000-pound Semi? In this commentary, HDT's Deborah Lockridge takes a look at Tesla, Cybercab, and how autonomous trucks see the road.
Read More →
What DOT’s Automated Vehicle Strategy Means for Trucking
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a new automated-vehicle strategy that outlines plans for driverless-truck regulations, cross-state freight corridors, and federal safety standards.
Read More →
NYC Expands Speed, Pedestrian Safety Tech Across Fleet
New York City is expanding intelligent speed assistance and pedestrian-alert systems across its municipal fleet, moving the technologies from pilot programs into vehicle procurement and retrofit requirements.
Read More →
FMCSA Removes 110 Truck Driver Training Schools from Certified ELDT List
Federal regulators also are targeting more than 160 additional training providers and launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers as part of a broader crackdown on trucking fraud.
Read More →
Beyond DOT Compliance: What Makes a Trucking Fleet Truly Safe?
A trucking fleet can follow every rule and still make unsafe decisions. The real test comes when safety conflicts with freight, productivity, or cost.
Read More →